Scripture for Lesson…

Hebrews 5: 11-14...We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

1 Corinthians 3: 1-3...Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?

Paul, who wrote 1 Corinthians and who most scholars believe wrote Hebrews, addressed this issue to Christians (or believers) back in his time. Paul was concerned that these believers had become content with the milk of the word which is Bible Kindergarten in today’s terms. Paul calls them infants in Christ and tells them they are not ready for the meat that he so desperately wanted to teach them. He told them they were still too worldly with their jealousy, fighting and bickering. He tells them that “by now”, you should be teaching the word (solid food), not sucking on the same old bottle of milk (my term). You know, as I look out at the world today and at Christianity, I can not tell a difference. Sure, if you walk into a Church you assume those attending are Christians, but to try to tell them apart on the street or in the workplace is almost impossible. Are we supposed to look different, act different, talk different? Here is what God says.

2 Corinthians 6: 14-18...Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.""Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you." "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty

When God says, “come out from them and be separate”, what does that mean? Does it mean we can never speak to an unbeliever? No…or we would never be able to witness or minister to them, would we? So really, God is telling us that we are not to conform to this world, it’s attitudes and it’s ways. We are to be a light shining in a dark world as Matthew tells us…

Matthew 5: 14-16...You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Now, back to not being able to tell Christians from the world. How are we letting our light shine to the world when we are blending into the darkness? I think because much like the Corinthians, we do not desire solid food anymore. We have become content in our own salvation and believe that attending Church every now and then, we are being faithful servants of God. Let us do a little comparing here and see where we stand O.K. Now be honest with yourself, nobody is watching but God.

How many hours a week do you spend watching TV Shows?
How many hours a week do you spend watching sports?
How many hours a week do you spend talking or texting on your phone?
How many hours a week do you spend surfing the internet?
How many hours a week do you spend on Facebook? (This group excluded-ha)
How many hours a week do you spend just doing things that don’t glorify God?

Now…
How many hours do you spend in prayer?
How many hours do you spend reading God’s Holy Word?
How many hours praying for others?
How many hours visiting the sick or ministering to others?
How many hours do you spend teaching what you know?

I’ll bet, if we are being honest, we have all hung our heads in shame by now. Christianity has become a feel good religion. It’s not, what can I do for someone else today to show them God’s love, it is, what can I do so I can feel good today. How many people have you ever led to the cross? Do your prayers start with “Use me for your glory today Lord”? Or do they start with “Lord I Need……”. We have become a Me, Me, Me…world. God has placed a gift in all of us, what is yours? Do you care? Do you want to find out and use it for his Glory? Will we forever cling to that bottle of milk or will we start desiring solid food, food that will not only help us grow spiritually, but also makes us strong soldiers in God’s army. Strong so we can start being teachers of the good news and a light to a darkened world. I told a cousin of mine one day, “I don’t know it all, but I can teach what I know“. We all can. If the only thing you know is that Christ died for your sins and the sins of the world…then teach that one thing! How is a lost world ever to see the light of Jesus Christ if we keep hiding him under the bowl. If the only thing you know is that God is love…Then teach it and share that love…If the only thing you know is that Tim gets long winded…Please do not share or teach this fact..(ha)..God does have a sense of humor…look who your teacher is…

I gave up the milk bottle a while back and searched out the solid food and believe me, it is so much better than milk. Now do I get complacent and slip back to the bottle every now and then…yep…but after you’ve tasted the meat, the milk leaves you wanting. Do I mess up a lot and have to ask God’s forgiveness every day…God says AMEN…I’ve got an open line to Mr. Barrett. But like Paul said in Philippians…

Philippians 3: 13 & 14...Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

You know, as I had been praying about this group and what to call it, one day I was talking to a friend and I told him…I don’t think God has called me to preach, just teach…and the very last words that Jesus spoke in Matthew came to both of our minds. I will use the King James Version (my favorite) for this translation.

Matthew 28: 19 & 20...Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Go ye therefore…and teach…teaching them to observe all that I have commanded…So, Go Ye Therefore Bible Study was born but it had a lot more meaning than just for me. Go ye therefore was a command for all believers…to teach. It was not a request or a suggestion, It was a command from our savior. This is the first lesson I have ever taught to a group larger than one (If you don’t count dogs) and yet I will do it because it is part of what Christians are supposed to do. I won’t and can’t do it in my own power because Tim Barrett is nothing without Jesus Christ. Some of you know me from my past and are probably A-mening to beat the band right now-ha. But the truth is, none of us are. If we are saved, we are who we are because of his precious shed blood and nothing else. There is no room for pride or arrogance for a Christian. So do we do for God only the things we like or we think we can handle or do we press on for that higher calling in Christ Jesus. Can I teach? Some of you may not think so but your approval is not what I seek. I will teach because he has commanded me too, just like he has you. Will souls be saved and hearts changed by what I teach? I am praying they are but that is not my job, that’s God’s job, my job is to teach and leave the details to him.

So now, as I drift back to the lesson’s subject, I ask you today, are you a meat loving Christian or a milk toast Christian? Whatever your answer, I pray that we all start desiring to be on the solid food…good old meat diet from God. We as Christians have a job to do while there is still time to do it. As I said in my Group Monolog, I believe we are in the last seconds of the last hours of the last days. There is not much time left. Do we work for the Kingdom now so when that day comes we hear Jesus say, “enter into my rest thou good and faithful servant”, or will we hear him say, “depart from me, I never knew you”? I pray for all of us it is the first. One last thought and then I will wrap this up. This is something that for the past eight years has weighed heavy on me. We are all too familiar with the war on terror we are in and the radical factions of Islam. Though I deplore what these people stand for I found myself one day admiring some things about them but it also saddened me. I thought to myself…you know, you have to admire the dedication these people have for what they believe in. It’s a downright abomination to anyone’s God but they are truly dedicated to it to the point of giving up their very life to their God and cause. The sad part was when I compared their dedication to their God and the Koran to today’s Christian and our dedication to our God (Jehovah God) and his Holy word. I think we pale in comparison and I’m sure we break God’s heart every day when he compares the same. If someone comes up to you and says “reject Christ or die!“ What would you do, what would I do? Do we love him that much or are we a bunch of paper tigers playing a game? Whether a meat lover or milk toast, I ask you to join me in a prayer right now…

Father, we come to you today in the mighty and powerful name of Jesus Christ. Forgive me lord for hiding your light and conforming to this world. Forgive me for my lack of prayer and studying your word. I know you have placed a gift in me that I need to discover and use to your glory. Please reveal that gift in me today as I seek your direction for my life. Teach me how to share and teach your word to others who need to hear it. Place in me a desire for the solid food of your word. Wean me from the milk and give me the strength and courage to follow where you lead. Give me a heart for the lost, the hurting and the sick and with my actions help me to lead others to your saving power. I acknowledge today that I am nothing without you and ask for a renewing of the Holy Spirit in my life. Let my life honor you today. I praise you and give thanks to you today for the gift of life and all of your many blessings. Use me for your glory today Lord, as I bow myself before your Holy Throne today…In the precious and Holy Name of Jesus Christ I pray…A-men

If you have come to our Bible study today and you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior, please allow me the privilege of leading you to the cross and eternal salvation.

John 3:16 says…For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 10: 9 & 10 says…That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

Romans 3: 23 says…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

So today, if you know that you are a sinner by nature and your life has fallen short of the glory of God and you want to ask his forgiveness and accept him as Lord of your life, just pray this simple prayer with me.

Lord Jesus, I confess my sins to you now which are many. I ask you now Lord Jesus to forgive me of my sins. I believe you are the one and only Son of the true God of this world. I believe you came into this world, was born of the Virgin Mary, lived a sinless life and then sacrificed and gave up that life just for me. I believe you rose on the third day and now sit on the right hand of God the Father. I will live my life from this day forward for you and your kingdom until you take me home to Heaven. Thank you for saving me Lord and for this precious gift of life. In Jesus Name I Pray…A-men

If you prayed that prayer friend, your eternal destiny has been settled. If you need help getting started with your new life or need a bible, please feel free to contact me through the group…
Timothy Jon Barrett